Park Service Whitewash

"Despite budget crunches, poor air quality, maintenance backlogs and other problems, the public is not likely to hear any bad news from staff of the National Park Service (NPS)," BushGreenwatch.org writes. "Park superintendents have received orders from the Bush Administration to follow a set of feel-good 'talking points' during any interaction with the media, according to internal e-mails obtained by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and released yesterday." Park Service employees were told to call budget cuts "service-level adjustments." A day before eight of the nation's largest national parks were declared to be in violation of new standards for ozone pollution, NPS superintendents were given talking points on air quality in national parks.